


Finding Where We Belong

by dragonydreams



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Buffy Post-Series, Complete, Crossover, F/M, Ignores Buffy Comics, It's my 15th Writing Anniversary, Legends of Tomorrow Episode 2x10
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-18
Updated: 2017-09-22
Packaged: 2018-12-31 10:27:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12130467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonydreams/pseuds/dragonydreams
Summary: Faith, Dawn, Willow and Spike end up in Legends 'verse when their only chance of survival was to escape through a portal Dawn created. When Gideon senses the portal opening but isn't sure what to make of it, the Waverider crew goes to investigate and find much more than they bargained for.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I claim no ownership over these characters. I am merely borrowing them from Berlanti Productions, DC Entertainment, Warner Bros. Television and Mutant Enemy, Kuzui Enterprises, Sandollar Television, 20th Century Fox Television.
> 
> Betas: Thank you to angelskuuipo and shanachie for looking this over for me.
> 
> Author's Note: This marks my 15 year anniversary writing fanfiction. I don't know the exact date that I shared my first Willow/Giles story in a Yahoo Group, but it was definitely in September 2012. This milestone anniversary demanded a story that crossed the first fandom I wrote in with my current fandom obsession.

"You've got to do it now," Willow yelled to Dawn, shooting a magical fireball at an approaching vampire, humming in satisfaction when it turned to dust. The redhead knew without looking that Faith and Spike were fighting off more demons, trying hard to keep them away from herself and Dawn.

After all of their years defending the various hellmouths, all of the apocalypses they'd fought, all of the friends - _family_ \- that they'd lost, this was the final battle. And they were losing.

"Do it, Nibblet," Spike echoed, his black duster swirling around him as he hit another demon. "We can't hold them off much longer."

Spike was bleeding from several wounds already and Faith wasn't much better off. 

"I've got this," Dawn said, the tremor in her voice belying the confidence she tried to show. While she'd opened portals before, she was always afraid that it would be to Glory's hell dimension, and not to where she wanted to go.

Willow closed the distance between herself and Dawn, pressing her back to the younger woman's. "You've got this, Dawnie," she said, encouragingly. "Just like we practiced."

Dawn took a deep breath and pricked her finger with the point of her athame. She held it over the circle she'd already drawn on the ground and squeezed until three drops of blood had fallen into the circle. She spoke a Sumerian incantation three times, thinking of the place she wanted to go: a world without demons.

The earth within the circle stirred and moments later, a swirling vortex had opened before her.

"Spike, Faith, time to go," she called.

Faith spun on her heel and ran for the portal, snatching her duffle bag by Dawn's feet and jumping through without a second's hesitation. Spike took the time to give a killing blow to the demon he was fighting before grabbing his own duffle bag and following. Willow stepped next to Dawn and took her hand, her own bag slung over a shoulder. 

"Together," Willow said.

Dawn looked around her one last time, sad to be leaving the world Buffy was buried in behind, but knowing her sister would want her to do what she had to in order to stay safe. "Goodbye, cruel world," Dawn said dramatically as she and Willow jumped into the portal.

~~*~~

"Who are you? How did you get here? What's going on? Who sent you?" demanded a man tied to a chair in the middle of the room the portal opened into.

"Whoa, chill, dude," Faith said, lowering the scythe she was still carrying. "Be quiet, we don't want to alert whoever tied you up that we're here."

"You're not with them?" he asked, warily. "How do I know you're not here to torture me next? I already told them that I don't know who this Rip Hunter person is."

"We don't know any Rip Hunter either," Spike said. "That why you're all trussed up?"

"Th-th-they've been torturing me. Trying to get me to give them information that I don't have. I'm just a film student," the man insisted. He gave another scream as Willow and Dawn stumbled into the room.

"You're getting better at that," Willow congratulated Dawn. "We didn't drop from the ceiling this time."

"I hope I don't need more practice," Dawn grumbled, still not comfortable opening portals and watching with satisfaction as it closed behind her. She looked up to see the man tied to the chair. "Um, hi, who are you? Why are you tied up?"

"My name is Phil Gasmer and for the last time, I don't know who Rip Hunter is," Phil said.

Willow and Dawn exchanged a look. "That's great," Willow said. "Hi Phil, did this Rip tie you up?"

"No, those other crazy guys tied me up. They think I'm some guy named Rip, but I'm just Phil," he insisted. "If you're not with them, did that woman send you? Sara?"

"No one sent us," Willow said. She motioned for Faith, Spike, and Dawn to follow her into a corner of the room. "Excuse us."

"Do you think we're supposed to free him?" Willow asked the others. 

"We don't know anything about why his captors think he's this Rip guy or why they want Rip in the first place. I say we leave well enough alone," Spike said. "They could be after him for good reason, for all we know."

"I'm with Spike," Faith agreed. "He could be lying to us, trying to get himself out of a well-deserved situation."

"I think we should get out of here before his captors come back," Dawn said. "I don't know about you, but I'm tired and don't want to deal with another fight right now."

Willow gave one last look at Phil and decided that they were right. This wasn't their fight, and they could really use some time to recoup before entering into another one.

"Okay, let's go," Willow said, heading towards the door she'd noticed earlier.

"You're just going to leave me here?" Phil called after them. "What's humanity coming to when strangers won't free a guy being held prisoner."

"I'm sorry," Dawn said, "but it's not our place to interfere."

"Screw it," Willow said and rushed over to Phil, cutting through his bindings quickly and pulling him after them.

"Willow," Faith objected. 

"I can't leave someone to be tortured, even if he may have deserved it," Willow said.

"Which I didn't," Phil interjected.

"Let's stop arguing about it and get out of here," Spike urged them. "With all his yellin', I'm surprised that we haven't been discovered yet."

"They must be out again," Phil said. "There's cameras everywhere."

As if on cue, the doors opened and in stepped a man in a black suit with pale blond hair and bright blue eyes. "Or we were just waiting to see how this all played out," he said.

Behind him entered another man dressed all in black, wearing a single black leather glove, with dark hair and blue eyes. He wore a sword on his hip, a quiver across his back, and was carrying a bow.

Faith and Spike took defensive stances as Willow prepared a fireball spell. 

"A bow and arrows, really?" Faith cajoled. 

"Says the woman carrying a scythe," Merlyn taunted as he circled the group.

The blond man had stepped off to the side of the room where an assortment of weapons had been laid out for torturing Phil. He idly picked up a knife and threw it at the newcomers.

"Thicken," Willow said, throwing her hands out towards the oncoming knife, slowing down its progress until it stopped and she was able to pluck it out of the air.

The blond man looked delighted. "I don't often meet people who possess magic. You must tell me where you got it," he exclaimed. "Damien Darhk."

"Willow Rosenberg," she returned. "I wasn't sure if this world had magic. Lucky for us, it does."

"So you're not from around here?" Damien mused. "That explains how you just showed up in our extremely remote location. One of you has the ability to create portals?"

"Obviously," Dawn snarked. She might no longer be a teenager, but being the youngest in the group, she sometimes fell back on old habits, especially when she was nervous, and that Damien made her blood run cold.

"So the other brunette is some kind of fighter--"

"Slayer," Faith corrected, grinning smugly.

"And what is it that you do?" he asked Spike.

Spike vamped out, "I eat the bad guys."

The dark haired man took a startled step back, but Damien simply grinned. "A vampire? I thought you were myths."

"Maybe here," Spike said, his English accent distorted by his fangs. "But I'm very real."

"Can we please get this over with?" the dark haired man asked.

"My apologies," Damien said, "my friend has no manners." Turning to the other man he said, "Nothing wrong with learning the names of our opponents before killing them."

"You first," Spike said. "Who's he?" he asked, nodding towards the dark haired man.

"Malcolm Merlyn," he answered, with a tilt of his head. "Your turn."

"Spike," the vampire said. "Faith has the weapon and Dawn you stay the hell away from."

That seemed to amuse Damien. "Tsk, tsk, tsk, you shouldn't show your group's weakness like that. You've only ensured that we'll go after the young one first."

"I'm not so young," Dawn said.

Damien stared at her, considering. "No, you're not, are you. I think I'll keep you."

"I'd like to see you try," Spike snarled as they all stepped in closer to Dawn, putting her in the center of them. 

The air in the room was full of silent tension for a moment, and then Merlyn released an arrow into Spike's shoulder. Dawn pulled it out then dropped to a crouch, pulling Phil down with her.

"When I say run, you run," Dawn whispered to him as Faith and Malcolm began to fight, while Willow and Spike took on Damien.

"Run where?" Phil started to protest.

"Just do it. Now," Dawn said, grabbing his wrist and pulling him through the still open doors. They ducked behind the wall, peering back into the room.

After watching the fight for a moment, she turned and looked around the room. There were futuristic computers scattered around the room. She ran her hands along one of the counters, unconsciously pocketing a small metal object.

"Do you know where we are?" she asked.

"I don't know," Phil whined. "I think they said something about a Vanishing Point. Don't know if that's here or somewhere else."

Something tugged at Dawn, leading her out of the room and down a hallway. 

"Where are you going?" Phil asked, trailing after her, deciding that heading away from the fighting was probably best.

"Exploring." Dawn shrugged. She couldn't explain why she felt like she was being drawn towards one of the rooms, so she didn't even try.

It wasn't long before they came to a room that had obviously been in some kind of explosion. Debris was everywhere, although a dais remained.

She climbed the steps; her hands hovering over the rubble. The energy that had called to her was coming from here.

"Should you be up there?" Phil cautioned. "That doesn't look safe."

Dawn was starting to realize why this guy had been tied up. Goddess, he was annoying.

"Shush," Dawn reprimanded. "I need to concentrate."

"On what?" Phil exclaimed.

"You'll see," Dawn said. Her forehead scrunched as she tried to get a read on the energy she was sensing. "Hello, there," she whispered, mostly to herself, but also to the energy. "You ready to come home?"

Her hand dropped to her sheathed athame and she withdrew it, once again pricking her finger with it.

"What are you doing?" Phil demanded, aghast.

"Be quiet or leave," Dawn said, coldly. 

Dawn held her hand over the largest pile of rubble on the dais and spoke an incantation three times as three drops of blood fell. "Let him come home," she intoned in English at the end.

Dawn ignored Phil stumbling back and falling as the portal opened and a tall man with close-shorn graying hair stepped through wearing a very dark blue leather jacket, black jeans, and an empty holster. As soon as the portal collapsed, so did he.

Dawn rushed to his side, feeling for a pulse, and was relieved to find one. "He's in shock," she informed Phil. "Help me get him back to the others."

"I can't carry him," Phil protested. 

"Neither can I," Dawn said through gritted teeth. "That's why I said to help me. Unless you want me to open that portal back up and send you through it."

"No need to get mean about it," Phil huffed, climbing the stairs and helping Dawn to drag the man back towards where the fighting was still going on.

They stopped outside the doors of the torture chamber. Faith had just disarmed Malcolm and Willow had Damien restrained with magic.

When she spotted Dawn, Faith called out, "You missed all the fun."

"I wouldn't say that," Dawn said, dragging the unconscious man into the room, with Phil's help.

"Who's that now?" Spike asked.

"Don't know," Dawn said. "Found him trapped in a collapsed energy stream in one of the other rooms. He passed out as soon as he stepped through the portal."

~~*~~

_On the Waverider_

"Captain, I'm detecting some strange energy spikes at the Vanishing Point," the ship's AI, Gideon, said.

Sara stood from where she'd been reading some of Nate's texts on the Holy Lance, as she preferred to call it. 

"What kinds of spikes? I thought the Vanishing Point was destroyed when the Oculus Wellspring was... destroyed," Sara asked, her voice catching only a little at the end there.

"Parts of it remain," Gideon said. "And I'm not sure what the spikes are. For a moment, it was as if I had access to the Oculus again, but then it was gone."

"Could someone be trying to rebuild it?" Sara asked.

"Perhaps," Gideon conceded. "Shall I plot a course so that you may investigate?"

"Yes, do that," Sara agreed. Over the ship's intercom, Sara said, "Everyone suit up and meet on the bridge; we've got a new mission."

After going to change into her white leathers, Sara returned to the bridge; glad to see everyone else ready for a fight.

"What's going on?" Ray asked. "Did you find where the Legion of Doom took Rip?"

"Still not calling them that," Sara chided, heading for the Captain's chair and gesturing for the others to strap in. "And no. I don't think this has anything to do with Darhk, Merlyn, and their mystery speedster."

"We don't know that," Gideon objected. "This could very well be where they have been hiding."

"Where are we going?" Amaya asked.

"The Vanishing Point," Sara announced as calmly as possible, internally screaming along with the original team's gasps of surprise.

"I thought you destroyed it," Nate said into the painful silence.

"We… Leonard destroyed the Oculus Wellspring at the Vanishing Point, but apparently the entire place wasn't destroyed," Sara said.

"How?" Jax asked.

"I don't know," Sara admitted. "We'll find out more when we get there. All that we know for now is that Gideon detected energy spikes from the Vanishing Point so we're going to check them out."

"And you think it could be the Legion?" Ray pressed.

"That would certainly explain why we've been having so much trouble tracking them down," Martin commented. "Especially if it remains outside of time."

"Pretty good hiding spot if you ask me," Mick observed.

"I agree," Sara said, "which is why we're going in prepared for anything. We don't know who or what we'll find when we get there. Gideon, plot a course to the Vanishing Point."

The team braced as the ship was propelled through the time stream. 

When they arrived, Gideon directed Sara to land outside the building that had housed the Wellspring fail-safe.

"It's still there," Mick said in wonder. "Thought it would have been blown to smithereens."

"It appears that the structure is largely intact and remains functional. The majority of the damage was contained to the room the explosion took place in," Gideon reported.

"Can you tell if anyone's in there?" Sara asked.

"I detect seven heartbeats inside," Gideon responded.

"So it may not be the Legion of Doom," Nate said.

"Unless there's more of them than we thought," Amaya pointed out.

"Exactly," Sara agreed. "Mick, Firestorm, you're with me. Amaya, Nate, and Ray will back us up. Let's go."

As much as Sara wanted to run in, her assassin training kicked in, and she led the team slowly through the building. They paused in the room that Leonard had given his life to free the world. Mick climbed the stairs of the dais, staring at the rubble.

"I miss him, too," Sara said, forcing herself to look at the rubble, memories of her only kiss with Leonard flooding her senses. "But we've gotta go."

Firestorm, who had moved farther into the room to give them some privacy, said, "I hear voices up ahead."

"Coming," Mick grunted as he followed Sara and Firestorm from the room. 

Sara once again took the lead, slowing them down even as she readied her batons. 

Pausing to listen outside the open door, Sara heard a woman say, "Found him trapped in a collapsed energy stream in one of the other rooms. He passed out as soon as he stepped through the portal."

Someone came through a portal here? Without thinking, Sara rushed into the room upon hearing those words and stopped dead in her tracks at the scene before her. Mick and Firestorm nearly collided with her, but understood when they looked around, Firestorm separating from the shock.

"Great, just what we needed," Damien grumbled upon seeing the newcomers.

"Where's Eobard when we need him?" Merlyn added, struggling against his restraints. 

"Leonard," Sara gasped, running towards the unconscious man on the ground. She felt for a pulse and breathed a sigh of relief upon finding one. "What did you do to him?" she demanded of the strangers, who were in varying battle stances.

"We saved him," Dawn snarkily replied. "You're welcome."

"How?" Mick asked.

"I could feel him trapped in the energy," Dawn said. "So I opened a portal and he practically fell out."

"You're a meta?" Jax asked, eyeing the girl appreciatively.

Dawn scrunched up her nose, unfamiliar with the term. "Not sure what that is, we're not exactly from around here."

"Dawn," Willow chided. "You shouldn't just go announcing stuff like that."

Dawn shrugged. "It's not like Phil and those guys don't already know."

Sara had been so focused on Leonard that she hadn't even noticed Rip huddled behind the strangers.

Tearing herself away from Leonard, Sara rose and went to Rip. "Are you okay?" she asked him.

"You know her?" Faith asked.

Phil nodded. "This is Sara, the one I thought you were with, if you weren't with them. She thinks I'm that Rip guy, too."

"That's because you are," Sara said. "Your memories were wiped, but you are Rip Hunter."

"MY NAME IS PHIL," he yelled. 

"Did someone here wipe your memory?" Willow asked. "I might be able to help with that. I've helped restore memories after spells were used before."

"He did it to himself," Martin said.

"I did not," Phil exclaimed, aghast.

"Guys, what's going on?" Ray asked through comms. 

"Sorry, Ray, it's clear. You can head back to the ship. We'll follow soon," Sara said.

"Great, the whole team's here," Damien said. "Look, we'll let you have the film student if you'll just take your little reunion somewhere else."

"Nice try," Sara said, stepping up to the former League members. "I'm still trying to decide what to do with you." Turning to the strangers, she added, "Thanks for trussing them up, by the way."

"We should probably go, Sara," Martin suggested. "We don't know when the speedster will be back."

"Oh, he's back," said a modulated voice from the doorway before a yellow blur sped through the room and took Damien and Malcolm with him.

"What was that?" Spike asked, turning in a circle.

"Speedster," Martin said.

"I can see why," Willow said.

"Now that the bad guys are gone, I guess we should find out who you are," Sara said. "Are you Time Masters?"

"What's a Time Master?" Faith asked. "Like the girl said, we're not from around here."

"Not a girl," Dawn grumbled.

"You're from another Earth?" Martin asked. "We've met some people from alternate Earths before. How remarkable!"

"If you need to get back there, don't let us stop you," Mick said, his eyes never having left Leonard's still form.

All four strangers looked grief-stricken.

"Can't go back," Willow said. "We were fighting a losing battle against the worst horde of demons we've ever seen. They've won. There's nothing to go back to."

Sara exchanged a look with Martin and Jax. While she could see they that must be excellent fighters if they subdued Darhk and Merlyn, she wasn't sure she wanted a group of strangers on her ship. On the other hand, she couldn't just leave them in what was clearly the bad guys' headquarters. (Still not calling them Legion of Doom.)

"I'm Sara Lance, Captain of the time ship, Waverider. You're welcome to come with us while deciding what to do next."

"Is that wise?" Martin cautioned. 

"We can't leave them here," Sara pointed out. "We don't have enough spare bunks, but we can set up some cots in one of the storage rooms."

"I wouldn't mind sharing," Faith said, rolling her hips. "You looking for a roommate, big guy."

Mick blinked and looked at the leather-clad brunette. "Who, me?"

"Stop it, Faith," Willow said with a roll of her eyes. "Sorry, she flirts with everyone."

"I don't mind," Mick said. "But sorry, sweetheart, I don't share well."

"That's Mick Rory," Sara said, "also known as Heatwave."

"Not so much these days," Mick said quietly to himself.

"Jefferson Jackson. You can call me Jax," the young black man offered, then gestured towards an older man. "That's Martin Stein. Together we're Firestorm."

"Bit of an age difference to be partners," Spike commented with a raised eyebrow.

"You misunderstand," Martin said, then clasped Jax's outstretched hand, causing them to merge.

"And here I thought I'd seen everything," Spike muttered.

Separating, Jax said, "Your turn."

"I'm Willow Rosenberg," the redhead said. "Computer geek and witch extraordinaire."

"Faith Lehane, Vampire Slayer," the older brunette said.

"Vampire Slayer?" Martin scoffed.

Spike slid into his game face as he said, "Spike; vampire with a soul."

Finally, the slender brunette said, "I'm Dawn Summers, Watcher and sometimes Key."

"Key to what?" Mick asked.

"Key between dimensions," Dawn answered. "And who's he?" she asked, gesturing towards Leonard.

"Leonard Snart," Mick said, gruffly. "Thought he died about a year ago in that room out there."

"Mick, can you carry Leonard?" Sara asked. "I want Gideon to check him out and see why he's unconscious." Turning to Rip/Phil, she offered, "You're coming, too, right?"

"As long as you aren't going to torture me, yes, I'll go with you," Phil said.

"We won't torture you," Sara promised. "We'll even try to help restore your memories."

"There's nothing wrong with my memory," Phil grumbled as he followed the group out of the building and onto the ship he hoped to never see again.


	2. Chapter 2

After informing the rest of the crew about what, and who, they'd found, Sara asked Amaya to take their guests to the galley for some much needed food and drinks, while she went with Phil/Rip to the med bay, where Mick had already taken Leonard.

"I don't need to see a doctor," Phil protested. "There's nothing wrong with my memory."

Gritting her teeth against the headache that was forming, Sara ground out, "Fine, but I still want Gideon to check you out and heal any injuries you may have from being tortured."

"It can do that?" Phil asked, in awe.

"It can hear you," Gideon said, causing Phil to stumble back into the medical chair he'd been standing next to. "Please lie down so that I may assess your injuries."

Once he had, Sara wrapped a medical cuff around Phil's wrist, to his startled protests, until he suddenly fell silent. 

"Thanks, Gideon," Sara said, knowing the AI had administered a fast-acting sedative. "Let me know what you find out about both his physical injuries and memory loss."

"Will do, Captain," Gideon responded. 

Sara crossed the room to where Leonard was lying motionless on another chair. She stood on the opposite side of Leonard from Mick, watching his chest rise and fall as he breathed. "And Leonard?" Sara asked.

"Mr. Snart's body is in shock from having been trapped in the time stream for the past several months," Gideon announced. "Otherwise, he appears to be in complete health. The time stream he was trapped in appears to have kept him in perfect stasis."

"When will he wake up?" Mick gruffly asked.

"It shouldn't be long now," Gideon answered.

Wanting to stay by Leonard's side until he woke, Sara knew that she had to go deal with their guests. 

"Gideon, please alert me as soon as he wakes up, no matter the time," Sara requested. 

"Yes, Captain," Gideon responded.

"You're leaving?" Mick asked, tearing his eyes away from his partner's face in surprise.

"Don't want to," Sara admitted, her hand hovering over Leonard's cheek. "But I need to go be Captain for a while and make sure our guests are settled. If he wakes before I come back, tell him…" she paused, her voice thick with emotion.

"I'll tell him you'll be here soon," Mick finished. 

Sara blinked the tears from her eyes and smiled at Mick. "Thanks."

After a quick stop to change back into a pair of ripped jeans and a tee-shirt, Sara headed towards the galley. 

The newcomers were sitting at a table, eating heartily. Considering that they looked like they'd just been through a battle, she imagined they needed it. 

All except for the blond man, Spike. 

"Not hungry?" she asked him.

He smirked at her. "As shiny as your food replicator is, I don't expect that it'll be able to produce what I eat."

"And what's that?" Sara asked.

"Blood," Spike answered. 

Sara raised an eyebrow at that. "So the stories about vampires are true? You survive by drinking the blood of the innocent?"

Dawn snorted, then coughed. 

"Now just the not-so-innocent," Spike promised. "And usually only bagged stuff from blood banks or animals."

Sara turned to Amaya, who had been watching the group from off to the side of the room. "Can you run to the med bay and grab a couple of bags of blood?"

"Are you sure we should be humoring him?" Amaya asked, not convinced that vampires existed.

"If it makes him sick, it's his own fault," Sara pointed out.

"Not making it up," Spike said. 

"You said back at the Vanishing Point that you had a soul. Why did you make a point of mentioning that?" Sara asked.

"I'd like to hear this, too," Nate said, poking his head into the room. 

Sara rolled her eyes. "Anyone else eavesdropping out there?"

Ray bashfully stepped into the room beside Nate. Followed by Jax.

"No Stein?" Sara asked. 

"Oh, did I hear my name?" Martin asked, as if he'd just been passing by.

Faith and Willow exchanged a look and burst out laughing. 

"Oh, yeah, this feels just like home at Slayer Central," Dawn said.

"Grown-ups behaving like children?" Sara asked.

"Yep. Except they were mostly teenagers," Dawn agreed. 

Sara raised an eyebrow at that and made a mental note to follow up on it.

"Huddle up, kiddos, and we'll go over Vampires and Slayers 101," Spike said.

Everyone found chairs as Amaya returned with two bags of blood, which she held out to Spike. Starving, Spike shifted to his game face and tore into one of the bags, slurping down the contents. 

"Ta," he said licking his lips, once the bag was drained. "Been ages since I was able to properly feed." He relished the shocked looks on their hosts' faces.

"Astonishing," Martin said, breaking the silence. 

"Right, so, vampires. To become a vampire, you get drained of most of your blood by a vampire, who then feeds you their blood, causing you to become one, too," Spike said. 

"But most vampires don't have souls," Faith added. "When the demon takes over the body, the soul is pushed out, or something. Never really understood how that worked."

"Sounds 'bout right," Spike said.

"So how come you have a soul?" Ray asked. "Were you made wrong?"

"Bite your tongue," Spike hissed. "My sire may have been insane, but I was made right. They didn't call me William the Bloody for nothing."

"Easy, Spike, he doesn't know what he's saying," Willow said, calmly.

Spike adjusted his coat and sat back in a huff. 

"I-I'm sorry," Ray stuttered. "I didn't mean any offense."

"Apology accepted," Spike said, grudgingly. "Anyway, I went and fought for my soul. Had to make myself worthy for her."

"Aww, you got a soul because of a woman?" Ray simpered. "How romantic."

"She didn't see it that way," Spike murmured. 

"She had good reason," Dawn quietly reminded him.

"I know," he acknowledged. "And my soul is permanent, unlike some cursed poufs that I know."

"Cursed poufs?" Jax asked.

"Angel is another souled vampire we knew," Willow said. "He was a ruthless killer until a gypsy cursed him with a soul, forcing him to feel guilty about everyone he'd killed for over a hundred years. After another century of moping and brooding, he became one of the good guys. He's gone now, like so many of our friends."

"You chose to take on the guilt of a century of killing?" Sara quietly asked, suppressing a shudder as she wrapped her arms around herself.

Spike tilted his head to look at Sara, easily seeing her pain and guilt. He wondered what she had to feel so guilty about. "Was more than a century, but yeah. I'd already been neutered by some soldiers makin' it so that I couldn't harm humans anymore, and I felt that I needed to prove that I could be good on my own and not just because of the chip in my brain."

"Is that why you haven't killed him?" Amaya asked Faith. "You said you are a slayer of vampires, did you not?"

Faith smirked. "That wasn't my call. He was already making nice with Buffy when I rolled into town. She said to leave him alive, so I did."

"She was your commander?" Martin asked.

Faith laughed. "She acted like it, but no, she was the slayer before me." She sat up straighter. "I've gotta back up and give the slayer history."

"Oh, can I do it?" Willow eagerly asked. "I always loved when Giles did it."

"Knock yourself out, Red," Faith allowed.

"Into every generation a slayer is born: one girl in all the world, a **chosen** one. She alone will wield the strength and skill to fight the vampires, demons, and the forces of darkness; to stop the spread of their evil and the swell of their number. She is the Slayer," Willow said.

Jax raised his hand. "Um, you said, 'one girl', but weren't there two of you?"

"Smart boy," Faith acknowledged. "When one slayer dies, the next is called out of all of the potential slayers out there. Buffy drowned but was resuscitated. According to the mystical forces or whatever, that still counted as a death so the next Slayer was called. That was actually Kendra, who also died, and then I was called."

"So there haven't been any new Slayers since then, since you're still alive?" Nate asked. "Do you think that you leaving your world would count as a death and call the next slayer?"

"There are no more potential slayers on our Earth," Willow said, sadly.

"Because Willow made them all active Slayers when we were fighting the First Evil," Dawn added. "But also, because they're all dead now."

"We weren't able to find them all in time," Willow said. "They were killed before we found them, or they didn't want to come with us to be trained, or they hadn't trained long enough before going into battle, or…"

Spike reached across the table to cover one of Willow's hands with his. "It's not your fault, love," he said. "There were too many of them to find them all; and in the end, there were still a hundred demons to every slayer."

Ray's jaw dropped. "Hold up, are you two," he gestured between Willow and Spike, "together? I thought you were with Faith."

"What? Because I said I was a computer geek I can't get the hot guy?" Willow asked, turning her hand over to hold Spike's. 

"No, that's not it at all," Ray spluttered. "They've just been sitting together and bantering since you got here so I thought…"

"Raymond, I suggest stopping there before that shoe enters your throat," Martin suggested. 

"Getting back on track, I have a question," Amaya said. She touched her totem briefly before asking, "You said that Willow activated all of the potential slayers. With magic?"

"You don't believe us?" Dawn asked defensively.

"You misunderstand," Amaya said quickly. "There is not much magic here, but some does exist. The totem that I wear allows me to channel the spirit of any animal and take on their attributes: strength, speed, flight, and so on. I am merely curious to meet someone who possesses magic."

"That explains the buzzing that I've been feeling," Willow said. "I thought it was portal-lag or something. It's the magic from your totem that I'm feeling. It's very powerful."

"Just like my girl," Spike said, proudly.

"What about you, Dawn?" Jax asked. "What's your story?"

Dawn looked to Willow as if silently asking how much to tell them, then nodded. "Until about eight years ago I was energy; a mystical key between dimensions. Some monks wanted to hide me from a crazy goddess who wanted to use me to return to the dimension she was banished from, so they made me human and made everyone think that I was Buffy's little sister. That's the only life that I've ever known, but I wasn't born, I just existed one day as a teenager."

"A bratty teenager," Willow interjected. 

"And you retained this ability to open portals in your human form?" Martin asked.

"It took me a while to figure out, but yeah, I can still do it," Dawn said. "It's how we got here."

"You also said something about being a Watcher," Nate said.

"Watchers train slayers," Dawn answered the unasked question. "I know I'm young, but I started hanging out with Buffy and her friends as soon as they let me, so I had access to a lot of Giles' books. He was Buffy's watcher. I could read Sumerian in high school, as well as a handful of other dead languages. I help read the ancient prophecies and prepare the slayers with what they'd need to fight particular demons. Willow does a lot of the research, too. Or, we did. Not sure how those skills will be useful in a world without demons."

"You're sure we don't have demons here?" Ray asked, tentatively.

"It's how we ended up _here_ ," Dawn said. "When I created the portal, I told it to take us to a world without demons."

"That's a relief, I guess," Ray said, sitting back with a sigh.

"Now your turn," Spike said, settling back in his chair. "We showed, now you tell."

"As I said before, I'm Sara Lance; Captain of this time ship and former member of the League of Assassins before I became the vigilante Canary. I go by White Canary now. I boarded this ship in the year 2016."

Spike nodded upon hearing that Sara had been an assassin. Explained her look when he talked about his soul. He had a feeling they'd get along just fine.

"What year is it now?" Willow asked. 

"I guess that depends on where you are," Sara said. "Right now we're in the time stream, which is basically out of time. When we talk about going home, it's to the year 2017. For most of us."

"It was _2006_ for us," Dawn said. 

"I am from the year 1942," Amaya offered. "My name is Amaya Jiwe and I was recruited from my home in Zambesi by the Justice Society of America. You may also call me Vixen."

"Ray Palmer. I built a supersuit, A.T.O.M., that lets me fly and shrink down to the size of a, well, atom. Which is also my code name."

"I'm Nate Heywood. I came on board because I'm a historian and I helped find this crew when they were scattered throughout time. Thanks to a serum Ray manipulated, I can also now turn my skin into steel and go by Citizen Steel."

"Since when?" Jax snorted.

"Since always," Nate grumbled. 

"I'm Jax. I was an auto mechanic until I became the other half of Firestorm with Grey over there. When we're merged, we can fly and shoot fire. I'm also the ship's mechanic."

"Martin Stein. To give a little more history as to how we came to be partners, in 2013, in Central City, S.T.A.R. Labs turned on a particle accelerator which exploded and released a massive dark matter wave that created what have come to be called meta-humans. The explosion caused me to drop the matrix for the F.I.R.E.S.T.O.R.M. project that I'd been working on and my body merged with that of my former partner, Ronald Raymond. While we did not know it for a very long time, we had become Firestorm."

"Fast forward to after they figured out who they were and how to control their powers," Jax said. "Ronnie died trying to close a vortex and Grey needed a new partner to merge with otherwise he was gonna die."

"Not that that was much incentive for you at first," Martin chided. 

"I came to my senses," Jax conceded.

"In the med bay we have Mick Rory sitting with his unconscious partner, Leonard Snart; the man that Dawn opened a portal for." Sara paused to take a steadying breath. "We thought that Leonard had died holding down a fail-safe button in order to destroy the Oculus wellspring. The Time Masters had been using the Oculus to control people's lives throughout time."

"He sacrificed himself to save the world," Spike said knowingly, a hand unconsciously rising to his chest as he felt the phantom weight of an amulet resting against it.

"Yeah," Sara agreed. "We'd flown off as the explosion started and assumed that he'd been killed by the blast. We've been mourning for him for the past nine months."

"He and the big guy, Mick, they're together?" Willow asked.

"Not that kind of partners," Amaya answered. 

"Back in Central City, they were thieves together. Captain Cold and Heatwave; the master thief and the arsonist. They've both switched to the side of good now," Sara added.

"To conclude the introductions, I am Gideon," a voice said out of nowhere.

"Who said that?" Faith asked, suddenly on alert.

"Gideon is the ship's AI," Sara said. "This ship is from the year 2166. The former captain of this ship is Rip Hunter, who is the man that you found tied up."

"He insists his name is Phil," Dawn said.

"That's a long story," Sara said. "Short version is that he touched something dangerous on the ship that not only time scattered him into the past, but also gave him a completely new personality and accent. He's actually English."

While Dawn had been listening, she'd pulled a metallic disc from one of her pockets and had begun to examine it.

Sara had been watching Dawn and realized that the disc looked futuristic. "What have you got there?"

"Oh, um, kleptomania stuck again," Dawn said, blushing. "I found this in the room next to where Phil was being held while everyone was fighting. It was just sitting out there and had interesting markings and I must have slipped it in my pocket."

"Gideon, can you tell what that is?" Jax asked, having stood to get a better look at it. "It looks like something Time Master-y."

"That is a mnemonic archive," Gideon informed them. "That device is designed to store memories."

"Whose memories?" Faith asked. 

"Rip Hunter's, I'd guess," Dawn said, turning the device over in her hands before offering it to Sara.

Trying not to sound too hopeful, Sara asked, "Gideon, can you restore Rip's memories from this?"

"I will need to fully examine the device first, but if they truly are Captain Hunter's memories, then yes, I have the ability to restore them," Gideon confirmed.

Jax gave a whoop of excitement. 

"Ray, I want you and Martin to work with Gideon on examining this device and restoring Rip's memories," Sara said, passing the device to him.

"On it, Captain," Ray said, eagerly. He and Martin quickly headed to the library to begin their examination.

"The rest of you can take our guests to the fabrication room and help them fabricate new clothes, pajamas, and anything else they might need for a few days. Oh, and fabricate some cots and bedding and get them set up in one of the emptier storage rooms," Sara instructed.

"You've got a room that just makes stuff out of thin air?" Dawn asked. "Like on Star Trek?"

"It's not made out of thin air, but yep," Jax confirm. "C'mon, I'll show you."

"And what will you be doing?" Spike asked Sara.

"I'll be in the med bay waiting for Leonard to wake up."


	3. Chapter 3

"How is he?" Sara asked Mick as she entered the med bay and sat on the empty stool Mick must have put out for her.

"Same," Mick answered. "Get the strangers all settled?"

"The team is getting them set up now," Sara answered. "And we think that they accidentally found a copy of Rip's memories lying around back where Rip was being held."

"Yeah? Something going right for a change; that's different," Mick said, perking up a bit.

"I'd say we've got more than one thing going right," Sara said, looking at Leonard. "Gideon, how much longer before he wakes?"

"It should be anytime now," Gideon said. "There is no medical reason I can see that he is still sleeping. Do you know where the smelling salts are?"

"I've got a better idea," Sara said. She glanced at Mick before she warned him, "No teasing about what I'm about to do."

"Lucky for you, I'm not in a teasing mood," Mick said. Smirking, he added, "Go on Princess Charming, do your thing."

Sara glared at him, but rose to her feet and moved to lean over Leonard. As she lowered her face closer to his, she whispered, "Come back to me." Her lips brushed against his softly before she pressed a firmer kiss against his lips. 

She was about to pull away when she felt his mouth move against hers, returning her kiss, causing her to pull back in shock. 

"Leonard?" Sara asked, cupping his jaw with a hand as her eyes frantically ran over his face.

"Sara," Leonard sighed, his eyes fluttering open and focusing on her.

"You're okay," she exclaimed and reclaimed his mouth, pouring all of her relief and fear and anger into the kiss. Leonard kissed her back just as thoroughly, one hand rising to cup the back of her head, holding her close. 

"Uh, guys," Mick interrupted after a minute. He'd known there were unresolved feelings between the two, but he wasn't about to leave without greeting his partner.

Sara blinked as she stood straight, her hand resting on Leonard's chest, the barest hint of color pinkening her cheeks. "Sorry, Mick."

"No, you're not," he said, eyeing Leonard as he sat up.

"No, I'm not," Sara agreed, smugly.

"Neither am I," Mick said, standing and punching Leonard hard in the face.

Leonard spat out a mouthful of blood, then said, "I deserved that."

"Damn straight you did," Mick growled. "Don't you _ever_ do that to me again. To us!"

"I couldn't let you die. Not again," Leonard said. "Not after what the Time Bastards did to you the last time I didn't kill you."

"At least I wouldn't have been leaving anyone behind," Mick snapped. "Except for you, maybe. I had to tell Lisa that her brother was dead."

Leonard sucked in a pained breath at those words and bowed his head. He knew that couldn't have been easy for Mick. 

"And Blondie here needed you, too, and you weren't there for her. She had to grieve for two people," Mick continued.

"Enough, Mick," Sara said, reaching across Leonard to lay a hand on Mick's arm. 

Mick pulled Leonard into a rough, brief, hug and then shoved him away. "Glad you're back," he said before rushing out of the room.

"He took your death pretty hard," Sara said quietly as she sat down again, scooting closer to Leonard.

"Sounds like he wasn't the only one. What was he talking about? You had to mourn two people?" Leonard asked.

Sara choked back a sob. "I found out my sister, Laurel, was dead a few days after you died destroying the Oculus. Rip took us all back home and I found out that she'd died about a month earlier. He purposely brought us back late to prevent me from stopping it." 

Leonard let out a low whistle. "Bastard," he swore. "After everything we were doing to try to save his family and he wouldn't save yours?"

"He said that if I had been there, then my father and I would have died, too," Sara said. "So yeah, I was mourning both my big sister and the man I had really wanted to explore the future with."

"Do you still?" Leonard tentatively asked. 

Sara laughed. "Waking you with a kiss didn't answer that question? Unless being trapped where you were changed your mind, I would very much like to see if there's a me and you to be had."

"As would I," Leonard said, leaning in for another kiss. They only separated when his stomach growled loudly. "Sorry, I guess I'm a little hungry, it's been about…"

"Nine months," Sara supplied, causing Leonard's eyebrows to rise in surprise and Sara to nod sadly in confirmation.

"Nine months since I last ate," Leonard finished.

"Then let's get some food in you," Sara said, removing the medical cuff from his wrist.

As he stood, Leonard noticed Rip lying on the other medical chair. "What's he doing in here?"

"Long story," Sara said. "It involves us convincing George Lucas to not give up on making movies, though."

"You met George Lucas?" Leonard asked in surprise. 

"And I think we were the inspiration for several scenes in Star Wars," Sara added, proudly. 

"Now this is a story that I need to hear," Leonard said as they headed towards the galley. 

"I'll fill you in while we eat," Sara promised.

~~*~~

"I think I'm in love with your ship," Dawn gushed as she held an exact replicate of Mr. Gordo to her chest. She had many fond memories of stealing the stuffed pig from Buffy's room as a child. She knew that these memories weren't real, but after everything that had happened lately, she would take comfort from what good memories she had.

"Thank you, Ms. Summers," Gideon said. "I'm afraid that I do not have emotions to return the sentiment."

"It's a figure of speech," Jax said, amused by the youngest arrival's antics. "You want a minute alone with that pig?"

"No, I'm good," Dawn said, relaxing her death grip on the stuffed animal. "It's just, this is Mr. Gordo, he was my sister's favorite toy and it's been a long day."

"You don't need to explain to me," Jax said. Leaning in, he confided, "I may have fabricated one of my ma's embroidered pillows one night soon after coming aboard."

"Will you show me?" Dawn tentatively asked.

"Well, I have seen yours… seems only fair." Jax winked at her.

"Man, I'd kill for a shower," Faith commented, drawing Jax's attention from Dawn. 

"I'll show you the bathroom on the way to the room you'll be staying in," Jax offered. "There are two shower stalls in there."

"Dibs," Faith and Dawn said at the same time.

"That'll give us a chance to set up our room," Willow said, arms full with the clothes and other items she'd fabricated for herself.

"If you're all set for now, let's go," Jax said. He led the newcomers through several halls and down a level, gesturing to one door that he said was the bathroom, before leading them into what was clearly a storage compartment.

"Guess we really are cargo," Spike snarked.

"Hush," Willow chastised him. She noted that there were four cots set out, one on each wall, with pillows and bedding piled on them. 

Faith immediately claimed the cot closest to the door.

"If y'all need anything, just ask Gideon. If she can't direct you as to how to get it, she'll alert one of us," Jax said. "Good night."

Choruses of "Night" echoed after him as he headed to his own bed.

"Before you grab your showers," Willow jumped to say, "I just want to have a quick team check in."

"We're all standing right here," Spike pointed out.

"Emotional check in," Willow clarified. "How are you all doing with this new place and situation? We're on a freaking time traveling spaceship! I don't know about you, but I'm feeling a little freaked out about it."

"Not to mention the fact that we can't ever go home," Dawn added, clutching Mr. Gordo a little tighter to her chest.

"The way I see it," Faith said, trying to sound more confident that she actually felt, "what we left behind were a bunch of ghosts. Chaos and demons and dead friends. There's no demons here. No more fighting for our lives every single fucking day and night. I say we should be grateful that we're alive and together and can maybe even relax."

"This lot doesn't seem like they are living a fully peaceful life," Spike noted. "Don't get me wrong, I'm pleased as punch to be the only demon in this world, but these are fighters we've landed with."

"Which brings me to my next question: Do we want to stay with them or have them drop us at the first chance they get? Maybe there's a non-Hellmouth-y Sunnydale here," Willow proposed.

"I say we find out more about what they're fighting," Dawn said. "If they're fighting those guys who had Phil tied up, maybe we should help them out."

"I must admit, the nerd in me would love to experience space and time travel," Willow said.

"There's the geek I know and love," Spike said, kissing the top of her head. "This is all your Star Trek and Quantum Leap dreams come to life."

"It kinda is, only without Scott Bakula jumping into people's bodies," Willow agreed.

"Oh, I wonder if we can go to England in the 1800s and see Spike as a human," Dawn suggested, bouncing on her toes.

"No," Spike snapped. "Even if we existed on this Earth, you are never going to see that prat."

"I think that's our cue to get our showers," Faith said, pulling a giggling Dawn out of the room.

"You know she was just trying to get a rise out of you," Willow said, looping her arms around Spike's waist. 

"Did a right fine job of it, too," Spike admitted, burying his face in Willow's neck. "Don't want anything to change how she sees me. Or you."

"From what you've told us, I don't think we'd like him all that much. I'm happy with the man you are now. No need to meet the man you were, even if the opportunity presented itself," Willow promised.

"None of us are who we were," Spike pointed out. 

"Ain't that the truth," Willow agreed. Lifting her head from Spike's shoulder, she kissed him briefly before letting out a sigh. "C'mon, let's get our beds moved together."

"You think we need to worry about Nibblet and the mechanic?" Spike asked, lifting one of the cots and placing it next to the one across from the door.

"You noticed that, too?" She shrugged. "He seems like a good kid. Earnest. I say we let Dawn make her own choice about him. She hasn't had a nice boyfriend in the longest time. I'm not going to begrudge her that if she finds it here."

They worked in silence for a few minutes, setting up the beds before Willow asked, "What do you make of the Captain?"

Spike sat on the cot and pulled Willow down in his lap. "She's a kindred spirit; I know that much. She's survived more than most of that lot and come out stronger for it."

"She feels like one of us, yeah," Willow said. "Like if she were from our Earth she'd have been a Slayer."

"She'd be a hell of a Slayer," Spike agreed.

"Should I be worried about your head being turned?" Willow teased.

"Never," Spike swore, sealing it with a kiss.

"Ugh, we can't leave you alone for five minutes," Dawn complained as she and Faith returned.

"Would you prefer us to do that while you're here?" Spike countered.

"Never mind," Dawn said, settling on the remaining cot.

"I don't know about you, but I'm ready for some shut eye," Faith said.

Everyone lay down on their cots and tried to get comfortable. 

"Faith, can you get the lights?" Willow asked.

"I would if I could find the switch," Faith said, scouring the wall near the door.

"I control the lights, Ms. Lehane," Gideon announced. "Shall I turn them off?"

"Yes, please," Faith said, settling back down as the room was plunged into darkness.


	4. Chapter 4

Spike got up and wandered the halls of the Waverider once the girls had fallen asleep. He still had trouble sleeping at night, being a vampire.

Eventually, he found himself on the bridge. A movement off to the side caught his eye and he realized that he wasn't the only one awake.

Moving into the room off of the bridge; it looked to be an office or maybe a study, Spike saw the ship's captain staring into a glass of clear liquid that he didn't think was water.

"Captain," he said in greeting.

If Sara was startled by his presence, she didn't show it. "Spike. Couldn't sleep either?"

"Vampire," he said with a shrug. "Don't sleep much at night."

"Right," Sara said, reaching for an empty glass and pouring vodka into it before handing it to Spike. "So are all the stories about vampires true? Sunlight, holy water, stake to the heart, no reflection?"

Spike slid into the chair next to Sara and took a sip. "Most of it, yeah. 'Cept I can go out in the sun thanks to this." He held up one hand, showing off a large ring adorning his middle finger. "Willow figured out how to make a new Gem of Amarra for me so I could fight during the day. Didn't want me stuck if we needed to move during daylight hours."

"Makes sense," Sara said. "It's never easy leaving someone behind. Especially someone you care about."

"Like you and the bloke Dawn saved?" Spike asked knowingly.

Sara thought about denying it, but she was tired of denying her feelings for the thief. Besides, it looked like she wouldn't have to hide them for much longer.

"That obvious?" she asked, wryly.

"Anyone with eyes could see it if they were there when you first saw him alive," Spike said. "If your feelings were a secret, I'm afraid that cat's left the bag. He know how you feel? If you don't mind me asking."

"He does," Sara confirmed. She took a deep breath before confiding, "Before… Just before he sacrificed himself, we kissed. Hours earlier he'd told me that he wanted to see what the future may hold for us and then he went and blew himself up."

"He did it to save you," Spike said, hand raising to rub at his chest. "Know a thing or two about that."

Sara sat back and regarded him. "You do, don't you? You've done it yourself. And yet you're here. How?"

"Don't rightly know," Spike admitted. "We were fighting the First Evil and it was trying to let loose a hoard of ancient vampires. Someone had to stay behind wearing the amulet. Needed to be me. She had to make it out. They all did."

"Did they?" Sara asked.

"Most of them, yeah. Town collapsed around me as the amulet did its thing."

"How did you survive? Was it because you were a vampire?"

"Didn't survive. Not in the way you're thinking. One minute I was burning up from the power of the amulet, the next I'm a ghost standing in the middle of Angel's desk in L.A."

"You were a ghost?" Sara repeated slowly, her forehead scrunching in confusion. "But you're not a ghost now."

"I don't know how it all worked. Or even why I was brought back. I'd made my peace but apparently The Powers That Be weren't done with me yet. Wanted me at the pouf's side in his battle with the Senior Partners, I guess."

"Was that the battle that brought you here?" Sara asked.

"The start of it, yeah. Battled turned into a bloody war as the Senior Partners brought out the worst demons ever to exist to try to wipe out humanity. Angel sent me to the new Slayer headquarters for reinforcements. That's when I reconnected with Willow, Faith, and Dawn."

"And when you and Willow got together?" Sara guessed. 

"It is. We'd flirted over the years, but once she accepted that she was really "bi now" and not "gay now", we got... closer," Spike said, using air quotes.

Sara smiled. "It'll be good to have another bi woman on board."

"Don't go gettin' any ideas," he cautioned.

"I'm not a homewrecker; anymore. Learned that lesson the hard way," Sara said.

"I'm sensing a story there," Spike said.

Sara topped off their glasses. "When I was young and stupid I got on a yacht with my sister's boyfriend and it sank in the North China Sea."

Spike let out a low whistle. "Knew you were a survivor."

Sara gave a mirthless laugh. "You don't know the half of it."

Spike gestured for her to continue. After taking a hearty drink, Sara began her story.

"I was rescued by a scientist who experimented on slaves. Reconnected with Oliver, the guy I ran away with, who'd survived and made it to an island. Nearly drowned again and was found by a member of the League of Assassins. They took me in, trained me, and Nyssa became my lover." 

"You're an assassin? Guess that explains it," Spike mused.

"Explains what?"

"Why you feel like a Slayer," Spike said.

Sara could tell that he meant it as a compliment. "Thanks, I think. And I'm not an assassin anymore. I left when the killing got to be too much and became a vigilante."

"And now you captain a time traveling spaceship," Spike concluded.

"We'll see. The man who called himself Phil is the true captain of this ship. I only took over when he disappeared. Once he gets his memory back he'll probably want command of his ship again."

"Do you want to give it back?" Spike asked.

"Honestly, I don't know. I never wanted to be a leader, but I'm kinda good at it," Sara admitted.

"Then fight for it. For all you know, he may not even want it back," Spike advised. "Not all leaders do, once given a break from it."

"Buffy?" Sara quietly asked.

"Yeah. She'd probably still be alive if we hadn't dragged her back in. After the battle with the First, she went off to Italy, got herself a boyfriend. Only slayed for fun. But then we called and of course she came. She died her final death on the battlefield going after the dragon-like demon that took down Angel."

"Her final death?" Sara questioned.

"That was her third," Spike said. "Third time stuck."

"I've died before, too," Sara confessed. "Three arrows to the chest. Was dead for a year before a mystical pit brought me back."

"Looks like we've got more in common than we thought," Spike commented. "Maybe this is the right place for us after all. I'm guessing coming back to life isn't so common outside this ship."

"Sadly, no," Sara agreed. "Usually the dead stay that way."

Spike reached out to squeeze Sara's hand. "We're the lucky ones then, yeah?"

"Yeah," Sara agreed, her thoughts turning to Leonard. A yawn escaped her and Sara gave an embarrassed laugh. "I think it may be time for me to find my bed."

"Go on, I'll keep wandering the ship, if you don't mind," Spike said. "Gotta be something here to keep me entertained."

"We've got a library," Sara offered. "It's got a wall screen and Gideon can show you pretty much anything you want - from historical archives to any television show or movie that came out before our team got on board. Or you can have any book you want fabricated for you."

Spike perked up. "You got _Passions_ on this Earth?" he asked. 

"I have all nine years of episodes available," Gideon said.

"Guess I know what I'll be doing with my nights for the foreseeable future," Spike announced.

Sara laughed. "Come on, I'll show you where it is. I can't believe you like daytime soap operas."

"Not much else to do when you're awake during the day and can't go outside," Spike said. 

"I suppose so," Sara conceded. They continued in silence until they reached the library. "Here we are. Enjoy your night."

"I will. Sleep well," Spike said.


	5. Chapter 5

"So you really think this is going to work?" Jax asked as he watched Ray fiddle with the controls for the cognitive intrusion chair. Who knew they had a chair that could screw with people's minds on their ship? Jax had thought this was a secondary medical room and Rip had never corrected that assumption.

"Of course it will work," Gideon answered. "I instructed Dr. Palmer as to how to reconfigure the cognitive intrusion program."

"Sorry, Gideon," Jax apologized. "Didn't mean any offense. It's just hard to believe that we're gonna get Rip back."

"Do you mind if we watch?" Willow asked from the doorway. The room already contained Jax, Ray, Sara, and Martin, along with the unconscious Rip. "I've gotta admit that I'm curious to see future tech in action."

"Nah, come on in," Ray said. 

"I'm not sure that Captain Hunter would appreciate strangers being present when he wakes," Martin cautioned. 

"We're not strangers," Dawn protested. "We were there when you rescued him."

"We are not entirely certain if he will remember that," Martin said. 

"He should retain those memories even after his old ones have been reintegrated," Gideon said.

"All right, I think we're all set," Ray said. "Sara, would you like to do the honors?" he offered, holding out the mnemonic chip. 

"You go right ahead," Sara said, waving him off. 

Ray grinned and slipped the chip into the device in front of him and pressed the start button. Everyone held their breath, waiting to see what would happen.

When it began to appear that the experience would be anticlimactic, Rip began to shake violently. 

"Now we know what the straps were for," Jax commented. "Is this normal?"

"Completely normal," Gideon assured them. 

Just as suddenly as the shaking had started, it stopped, and Rip's eyes popped open. Sara stepped into his eye line.

"Do you know who I am?" she asked.

"Sara Lance, otherwise known as the White Canary," Rip answered automatically before looking around, as much as he was able to with his head strapped down. "Why am I in the cognitive intrusion room?"

"What's the last thing you remember?" Sara countered.

Rip's brow furrowed. Slowly he answered, "I took the spear from its hiding place and then touched the time core. The spear! Is it safe?"

"We were able to recover the piece you had. Nothing after that?" Sara pressed.

Rip thought harder, then looked aghast. "Did I go to film school in the 60s in California?"

"Yep," Sara confirmed grinning. "And can I just say how glad we are to have you back?"

"Does that mean you'll let me out of this blasted chair?" Rip asked.

"I've got ya, Rip," Jax offered as he began to open the straps holding Rip in place. 

Once he was sitting up, Rip noticed two people he only vaguely recognized. Addressing them, he said, "I'm sorry, have we met?"

Dawn frowned, but said, "We met yesterday when we kind of stumbled into the room you were being held captive in, just a little while before your team found you. I'm Dawn and this is Willow."

"You stumbled into the room I was being held captive in?" Rip repeated. He looked to his team for confirmation.

"The Legion of Doom had you, well Phil, held prisoner," Ray explained.

"Legion of Doom?" Rip questioned.

"Damien Darhk, Malcolm Merlyn, and a mystery speedster who have been searching for the Spear of Destiny throughout time," Sara clarified. "They found you in the 60s at the same time that we did, only they got away with you. Sorry."

"But not the spear," Martin added.

"How on earth did you find me?" Rip asked the room at large.

"I think we found them," Ray admitted. 

"It was when I opened the portals," Dawn said. "There was the one coming into your world from ours, and the one to get Leonard out of the time field."

"Mr. Snart is alive?" Rip exclaimed.

"He seems to have been trapped in the time stream all of this time," Sara said. "Somehow Dawn sensed him in there - you were being held at the Vanishing Point, in the building where the Oculus Wellspring had been - and she was able to free him. Gideon sensed the energy spikes and we went to investigate and found you, Leonard, and the four of them."

"Spike is sleeping and Faith is enjoying your training room," Willow said at the look of confusion on Rip's face.

"And you're from another Earth?" Rip clarified. "Are you waiting for us to land so that you may return?"

"We can't go back," Willow said. "We'd like to offer our assistance in your fight with the Legion of Doom. We can all hold our own in a fight and it sounds like it would be in everyone's best interest to not let them get their hands on the Spear of Destiny."

"What do you know about it?" Martin asked.

"Spike may have read the research that was in the library last night while he was watching _Passions_ ," Willow answered.

"I must speak with Nate about not leaving important research books just lying around," Martin muttered.

"It's fine," Sara said. "They already beat Merlyn and Darhk once. I think having them with us, at least until this fight is over, would be useful. If that's okay with you, Captain."

"I suppose that I don't need to ask who has taken my place in my absence," Rip said. 

Sara squared her shoulders, preparing for Rip to tell her to step aside. 

"While I am finding my feet again, so to speak, why don't you remain in charge?" he suggested.

Sara sagged with relief. "Are you sure?"

Rip waved at his head. "I have a lot to sort through, up here. You've been in command for this mess with the, what did you call them, Legion of Doom? May as well see it through."

Sara beamed at him, then sobered. "Makes sense to me. Rip, you scattered the pieces of the Spear. Do you know where we should go next?"

"Have you been to Camelot yet?" Rip asked.

"Camelot?" Willow squealed. "Oh, yes, please."

Rip chuckled. 

"Gideon, set a course and inform the others to be ready in an hour," Sara said.

"Very well, Captain Lance," Gideon responded. 

"Why wait an hour?" Dawn asked.

"It'll give people time to finish whatever they're doing and maybe grab a shower or some food before heading into the mission," Sara answered. 

"Oh, I guess that makes sense," Dawn said. "I wouldn't mind grabbing a snack, now that you mention it."

"I'll go with you," Jax quickly offered, leading Dawn out of the room. 

Martin watched them go and sighed. "I really shouldn't be surprised that he's interested, should I?" 

"We've finally got a girl on board his own age," Ray pointed out. "I'd be surprised if he wasn't interested."

"I just hope that he isn't disappointed if she does not remain on board for long," Martin said. "I have a feeling this will be much worse than it was with Ms. Saunders."

He shook his head as he left the room. 

"Wait, what?" Ray exclaimed, confused. He hurried after Martin asking, "What was that about Kendra?"

"I suppose that I should go wake Spike up," Willow said. "He'd hate to miss seeing Camelot."

When it was just the two of them, Rip said, "I've missed quite a lot, it appears."

"We also have two new team members," Sara said. Rip raised a questioning eyebrow. "Amaya Jiwe, Vixen, snuck on board after we'd teamed up with the JSA in Paris because she thought that Mick had killed Rex Tyler. It was really the mystery speedster working with Darhk and Merlyn, and she'll stay on board until he's been brought to justice. Nate Heywood helped Oliver find us after _you_ time scattered us throughout history and decided to stick around. His grandfather worked with Amaya in the JSA, Commander Steel. Oh, and thanks to some serum Ray made, he can now turn into steel."

"And now there are possibly four new team members," he commented, soaking this new information in.

Sara shrugged. "Had a long talk with Spike last night. They're new to our world and can't go back to theirs. They're all survivors; fighters in their own ways. Spike, Faith, and Willow were able to subdue both Darhk and Merlyn before we arrived and Dawn was able to sense and retrieve Leonard. If they want to stay with us, I'm inclined to have them."

"I look forward to seeing them in action," Rip said. "Now, I'm going to go find a shower and my own clothes. Are there any bunks still open?"

Sara laughed. "Yeah, yours. We knew we'd get you back eventually and left your room as is."

"You didn't take it when you became captain?" Rip asked, surprised.

"Nah, I was already used to my room," she said. Aside from not wanting to have to move again when they found Rip, she didn't want to leave the room that held so many memories of her and Leonard hanging out and playing cards together. 

As they left to head to their own bunks, Sara suggested, "Oh, and you might want to see if you can find some scissors."

"Whatever for?" Rip asked. 

"You'll know when you get to a mirror." Sara smirked. "We found you in the 60s, remember."

"Oh dear," Rip exclaimed, his hands reaching for his long hair.

Sara was still laughing as she arrived at Leonard's open door.

"What's so funny?" he asked from where he was seated on his bed.

"Just told Rip why he might want a haircut," Sara said, entering the room and moving to stand next to him.

"So it worked?" Leonard asked, setting his book aside and gesturing for Sara to join him. 

She hopped up on the bed, sitting close to Leonard, but not touching, although still in arm's reach of him. "Worked perfectly, from what I can tell. When he woke up he knew who we were and where he was."

"Is he resuming his duties?" Leonard asked. He and Sara had talked a lot about what had happened while he'd been trapped in the time stream and he gathered that Sara was doing a much better job as Captain than Hunter ever had. Mick pretty much confirmed that suspicion this morning.

Unable to contain her smile, Sara said, "Not just yet."

"Perhaps once he sees you in action he'll agree that you are the better choice and he'll hand the title over officially," Leonard suggested.

"Are you sure you're Leonard Snart? That sounded awfully optimistic to me," Sara teased. "You haven't even seen me in action."

Leonard smirked. "Perhaps not, but from the stories you told me last night, you're doing a much better job than Rip ever did. I very much look forward to seeing you giving orders."

"You got a kink I should know about?" Sara asked, sliding her hand slowly from his knee up his thigh.

Leonard caught her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing the inside of her wrist and making Sara's breath catch. "Not that particular kink, but I do love seeing a confident woman in power."

Her voice a bit breathy, Sara said, "Be prepared to have your socks knocked off. We're headed to Camelot, and I look damn good in a suit of armor."

Leonard groaned at the thought. "How much time do we have?"

"Only about half an hour," Sara said, pouting. "Just gonna have to wait a little longer to fully explore...this."

"We'll definitely need more than half an hour," Leonard agreed. "But in the meantime…" 

He cupped his hand around Sara's jaw and drew her closer, meeting her in a hungry kiss. Sara closed the distance between them, crawling into his lap as her arms wrapped around him, touching as much as his upper body as she could reach. 

After not nearly enough time, Gideon interrupted, "Forgive the interruption, but you're needed on the bridge, Captain Lance."

Sara reluctantly released Leonard's lips and glanced at the clock. "We still have ten minutes."

"I'm afraid that the new arrivals had some questions for the captain, and it is my understanding that this is still you," Gideon answered. 

Sara groaned, her forehead resting on Leonard's shoulder. "Tell them I'll be there in a minute."

Sliding off of Leonard, and the bed, Sara said, "And this would be the downside to me remaining captain."

"We were going to have to stop soon anyway," Leonard pointed out. "At least this will give me some time to, um, cool down, before joining the others."

"I suppose we can't have them knowing just how hot and bothered Captain Cold can get," Sara said, smirking. 

"I do have a reputation to maintain," Leonard agreed. "I'll see you up there in a few."

Sara willed her libido back under control as she headed for the bridge. She supposed that Leonard was right, and that it was better for them to have time to cool down a bit before heading into a mission. Juggling her new relationship with her captainly duties was going to be interesting, but Sara looked forward to the challenge.

As Sara reached the bridge, she noticed that there were five more seats than there usually were. 

"Hey, where'd the extra chairs come from?" she asked.

"Mr. Jackson just finished installing them," Gideon answered. 

"Thanks, Jax," Sara said.

"No problem," he commented from where he stood near the holotable, not far from where Dawn stood.

"Now, what can I do for you?" Sara asked the newbies.

"I guess we just wanted to know what happens now," Willow said. "I know we're going to Camelot, but what does that mean? Do we need to change our clothes? Weapon up? How does this work?"

"Once everyone comes up here, we'll strap into the chairs and travel through the time stream to the past and Camelot. After we land, we'll fabricate period appropriate clothing and weapons and go meet up with Rip's contact there. Hopefully it'll be strictly a retrieval mission, but we're usually not that lucky."

"You, too?" Faith asked. "Sounds like our group. Personally, I wouldn't mind a little action. Got some energy to burn off."

"Didn't you spend the morning in the training room?" Nate asked from where he'd been loitering.

"Different kind of energy on a battlefield," Faith said. "I like it better when they hit back."

"You and I are so going to have to spar one day soon," Sara commented. 

"Any time," Faith agreed.

"Would you two stop flirting?" Mick commented as he entered the room and took his usual seat. "She's taken."

"As if I would stop Sara from flirting," Leonard said, winking at Sara before taking a seat next to Mick.

"Jealous, big guy?" Faith asked, taking the seat on Mick's other side. "All you gotta do is ask."

"Keep dreaming," Mick huffed, even as he ran his eyes appreciatively over Faith's tightly clothed body.

Noticing that everyone was present, Sara said, "Okay, everybody strap in."

"What're these for?" Spike asked as he pulled the harness over his head, like he saw the others do.

"The ride can get a bit bumpy," Rip said. "And has Sara mentioned the side effects?"

"What side effects?" Willow asked, nervously.

"They're different for everyone," Sara said. "You'll just have to wait and see."

Sara smiled as she slid the controls into gear and they headed into the past. 

She had Leonard and Rip back, four new interesting teammates that she was looking forward to getting to know better, and she remained captain of her crew. 

She couldn't wait to see what happened next.

The End

**Author's Note:**

> This story is complete and will be updated daily until all five chapters are posted.


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